CH 89

"Hiss-"

"Does it hurt?"

"Mm."

"I'll be more gentle."

Cheng Suran leaned on the sofa, raised her arm slightly, and the large bruise on the back of her elbow was exposed to the light, and it was swollen terribly. Wen Ruoxian frowned, carefully applied the medicine on her and sighed:

"Hey, where did you hit it, and it looks like this..."

Cheng Suran smiled awkwardly: "I was too in a hurry to get into the car, and accidentally bumped into the steering wheel."

She had just finished showering, her skin soft and moist, as clear and translucent as the first snow. However, this only made the bruise appear even more dreadful.

Wen Ruoxian sighed again, applied a bit more pressure to squeeze out some ointment, and dipped her right index finger into it. She gently spread the ointment on the bruise and carefully massaged it.

She arched her waist, her head slightly tilted and lowered, loose strands of hair falling by her temples, accentuating her delicate face.

Cheng Suran instinctively reached out her hand, tucking those stray strands of hair behind Wen Ruoxian's ear.

Wen Ruoxian's movements momentarily froze, her heart trembled involuntarily, and she pretended to continue applying the ointment calmly. A slight itch emerged on the skin behind her ear.

Watching her focused and tender expression, Cheng Suran suddenly found it difficult to keep something from her. After hesitating for a while, she said, "Ruoxian..."

"Mm?" Wen Ruoxian's hand trembled slightly.

"Actually, I knew Jiang Yu before." Cheng Suran looked at her calmly.

"At that time, I met her when I was working part-time in my third year of junior high school. Later... she helped me a few times, and I never had any contact with her until the summer vacation of my junior year."

"For the three-day interpreting project last month, the French team couldn't find anyone, so I went there in person. I didn't expect her to be the client. Later, the cooperation was very satisfactory, and she said she wanted to sign an annual contract with us, so...that's it."

She has reservations.

Ruoxian is her only sincere friend, she doesn't want to hide it completely, but the rest, she can tell her slowly in the future.

Wen Ruoxian thought she was going to say something else, her expectations rose and then fell, and she was a little disappointed.

What else, then...

The strand of hair tucked behind her ear made her feel itchy.

"Is it such a coincidence? It shows that you two are very fated," she said with a faint smile.

Cheng Suran pursed her lips, lowered her gaze, revealing a bitter smile that quickly disappeared. "Do you think... that I only managed to facilitate this collaboration because of her care and influence..."

"Ranran," Wen Ruoxian softly interrupted.

"With your professional strength, you don't need the care and charity of your client. On the contrary, most of the time, it is the client who comes to you, so don't doubt yourself. What happened to my confident Ranran?"

She has a gentle face, a calm tone, and her words are reassuring.

Cheng Suran smiled, as if there was warmth flowing through her heart, and she felt a steady stream of confidence and strength.

Don't doubt yourself.

The one with ulterior motives is Jiang Yu. She thought.

After applying the ointment, the two of them chatted about company matters for a while. Cheng Suran had an early morning flight for a business trip the next day, so before 9 o'clock, she carried the meeting materials and went back to her room. Tonight wasn't too hot, so she didn't turn on the air conditioning and instead opened the doors and windows for ventilation.

As she kept looking, her upper and  lower eyelids started fighting…

....

Eleven o'clock in the evening 

The study room to the north was still lit.

On the computer screen, a page from an encyclopedia displayed Jiang Yu's personal information. The text, accompanied by images, was quite lengthy and presented in an official manner. Searching the entire web, apart from work-related and the earlier national model battles, there was no valuable information.

Wen Ruoxian sat at the desk, gazing at the screen in contemplation.

Supermodel, fashion circle...

About twelve years ago, when she was still a high school student, she had already come across Jiang Yu's name online. Back then, there was nothing special about it, similar to how one views most celebrity artists, living their lives in parallel spaces.

But when she saw this person at close range in reality, had contact, had an intersection, she suddenly had a strange feeling.

Jiang Yu has an"androgynous" temperament.

She could be soft, she could be strong, exuding charm in a dress, and displaying a heroic aura in a suit. To put it in her own words... "Ji Li Ji Qi"*

*Lesbian Vibe/Energy 

This was probably her instinctive perception due to her orientation.

But it was just a guess; her intuition might not be accurate.

Many people in the fashion industry are somewhat "dual."

Wen Ruoxian sighed, turned off the computer, opened the drawer in front of the desk, took out a large sketchbook from it, and turned to the latest page.

The woman's face contained a smile, with two small dimples that were soft, beautiful, and sweet. Her demeanor was gentle and calm, as if leaping off the paper.

The entire book was filled with Ranran.

Wen Ruoxian smiled absentmindedly, took out a pencil, and continued to add the remaining details. Three to five minutes later, the finishing touches were completed. She kissed the paper through the air, took a photo with her phone, closed the book, and carefully placed it back in the drawer.

It was eleven minutes past eleven.

Wen Ruoxian yawned, got up, turned off the lights and walked out of the study.

The corridor was illuminated by dim wall lamps. She went to the restroom and was preparing to return to her room to sleep when she heard murmuring coming from the room opposite.

Huh?

The bedroom door wasn't closed, and Wen Ruoxian followed the sound.

In the darkness, she could only make out the silhouette of a person on the bed. The electric fan was gently blowing, and the slightly cool night breeze rustled the curtains through the gauze window. A strand of moonlight fell onto the windowsill.

"Sister..."

"Do you still like... mm"

Cheng Suran was soundly asleep, murmuring, repeating the word "sister" over and over again.

Wen Ruoxian stood quietly by the bed, feeling a little complicated.

Calling her sister again.

When they first met, they traveled around Europe together and shared a double room in a hotel. At night, she could always hear Cheng Suran talking in her sleep, muttering "sister". At first she didn't pay attention, but every time the two of them slept in the same room, she would hear these sleep talks, and she gradually became curious.

She knew some things about Ranran's family.

Her mother is gone, her father died, and she wasn't well-received at her aunt's place. Just as she reached adulthood, she shouldered the burden of life on her own, juggling part-time work and studying. That was everything she knew.

She speculated that Ranran had a biological older sister.

It was possible that she might have been gone for a long time, or something had separated them. The older sister must have treated Ranran exceptionally well, for her to be so deeply remembered even in dreams.

At the beginning, Cheng Suran would call her "Sister Xian", and she continued for over a year. By that time, she had already become aware of Cheng Suran's sleep-talk at night and had formed her conjectures about the older sister.

But then, one day, she realized she had developed feelings for Ranran, and the word "sister" became incredibly awkward and forced.

She doesn't want to be treated like a sister.

There's an older sister in the front, a white moonlight* in the back, with a wide gap in between filled with differences in sexual orientation. This implies that perhaps they can only be friends. Fortunately, in the role of "friend," she excelled, occupying a significant place in Ranran's heart.

*often refers to first love, past crush, sometimes an deal type

This way she is also content.

Wen Ruoxian pursed her lips and smiled, bent down, turned down the electric fan, picked up the dropped blanket, and gently covered her stomach and knee joints.

The fragrance of the quiet shower gel hits her nostrils.

The woman's red lips were close at hand, in the dim light outside the window, hazy, like an attractive fruit, which made Wen Ruoxian's heart throb, and she couldn't resist.

For a moment, her brain became hot, and she bent down as if she had been swallowed...

Only a few centimeters away from those lips, a burst of warm breath fell on her face, she suddenly woke up, straightened up, and took two steps back.

She can't.

Wen Ruoxian's heart raced, overwhelmed by guilt and a sense of wrongdoing. She hastily turned around and left...

….

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=4738582

This translation is originally posted on

love4baihe.blogspot.com

please read it there. and check out other stories too

Sunday is cloudy.

WINK Café is located along the Binjiang riverside, not far from the Green Shang Mansion. Before setting out, Jiang Yu spent two hours picking and choosing in her dressing room. She settled on a red buckle long dress, styled her hair, and applied makeup carefully.

Despite having a premonition that this meeting might be a farewell, she still approached it with a date-like mindset, hoping to present her best self to Cheng Suran.

At 1:50 PM, she arrived at the café.

Unexpectedly, Cheng Suran had arrived even earlier.

On the second-floor terrace, several tables were spread out. Cheng Suran was sitting alone in a corner near the glass railing, her face turned to the side, focused on something.

She was wearing a apricot-colored shirt dress, her long hair softly cascading over her shoulders. The shallow V-neck revealed a portion of her fair neck, and the subdued gray light fell on her like a serene and beautiful oil painting.

Jiang Yu gazed at her, her eyes slightly unfocused, and with a slightly fluttering heartbeat, she walked over. Cheng Suran seemed to sense her presence and turned her head, a smile forming on her lips. "You're here."

She signaled to a nearby waiter.

"What would you like to drink?"

Jiang Yu put down her bag, took a seat across from her, and spoke with a slightly heavy tone. "The same as you." "Iced, is that okay?"

"Mm."

Cheng Suran casually ordered two iced Americanos and two desserts. After the waiter left, she took out a prepared bank card from her bag and slid it over to Jiang Yu.

"What's this?"

"Three million, I'm returning it to you."

"..."

"Fifty thousand for the arrangement, thirty thousand as pocket money, twenty thousand for miscellaneous expenses like fuel, meals, and accommodation, and the two million check. I'm giving back all the money you've given me."

Jiang Yu remained silent, her gaze fixed on the bank card.

"I used the two million you gave me to start a business," Cheng Suran said calmly.

"Starting up required significant initial investment and expenses. Without that money, perhaps I wouldn't have had the courage to make choices and decisions, and I wouldn't have been able to smoothly proceed. So, it helped me a lot," Cheng Suran's tone was very composed.

Jiang Yu looked up in surprise. "I thought you would use it for studying abroad."

"I really thought about it, but I don't think it's worthwhile."

"Oh?"

"If I spend my own money to study abroad after graduation, the great thing is that my resume will be a little bit good. When I come out to work, I have to start from a rookie and slowly accumulate experience. But the translation industry does not need a high degree to get started. Education is not the decisive factor. Higher education does not have an absolute advantage, on the contrary, many people in the circle directly enter the industry after graduating from a bachelor’s degree, and they have two years more practical work experience than me, so what’s the point of me studying abroad at my own expense?”

"But I really want to study abroad and see the outside world, so..." Cheng Suran paused.

"So, after considering it, I thought I should first try the Foreign Ministry exam. Even though they don't usually accept people without self-funded study abroad experience, if I can pass the exam, I'll be eligible for a government-sponsored study abroad opportunity. Coincidentally, our university is one of the three main choices for selection by the Translation Bureau of the Foreign Ministry. I didn't want to miss out on this chance."

Later she passed the exam.

Not only did she achieve the desired academic qualification through the government-sponsored study abroad program, but it also resolved her household registration issue. Her household registration was finally moved out from her aunt's house and registered in the capital city. Working in the Foreign Ministry proved to be highly challenging, surrounded by elite colleagues in the Translation Bureau. Her professional skills continued to improve, and she experienced numerous significant events, accumulating a wealth of experience, akin to being polished.

After resigning, she had a higher starting point than most of her peers, becoming a gold-lettered signboard.*

*popular and with good reputation 

She is glad she chose the right path.

Jiang Yu listened quietly, her heart beating more and more intensely, and her joy was like gorgeous fireworks blooming in the night sky.

Ranran is that kind of girl.

The person she likes is just like that.

Refusing to accept defeat, unwilling to bow to fate, having a clear life plan, knowing what she wants, and relentlessly pursuing that goal. Just like the words she once said: keep moving forward, never look back.

"Actually... there's another reason I chose this way. I don't want to keep relying on your support. I want to try relying on myself. If I can't make it on my own, then I'll accept my fate and use that money. Because I've always felt that I'm not brave enough, not strong enough, not independent enough. No one would like someone like me."

"The me back then was not good enough for you."

Cheng Suran spoke calmly, as if the past had turned into smoke long ago and had been blown away by the wind.

"Ranran..." Jiang Yu was stung by the words "not good enough", her lips trembled slightly, she wanted to say something, but was interrupted before she could speak.

"Elder sister."

Cheng Suran looked at her seriously, "Thank you."

Jiang Yu was stunned.

What does she call her?

"Although I didn't initially use that money, it gave me confidence. Without it, I might have been hesitant and uncertain about everything. Whenever I stood at a crossroads making decisions, overwhelmed by excessive concerns and anxiety, I'd think, well, there's two million in my account, it's a safety net for me, I can afford to lose and won't starve. Then I wouldn't be afraid anymore and would have the courage to keep moving forward. I also know that not everyone is as fortunate as I am to meet someone like you..."

"This is me calling you 'sister' on behalf of the previous Cheng Suran, thanking you for being there by my side at that time." She took a deep breath, lifted a comforting smile, her eyes slightly reddened.

The gentle breeze tousled the stray strands of hair at their temples.

Not far away, the melodic sound of a ship's whistle echoed along the coast.

Jiang Yu locked eyes with her, those same eyes still as pure and sincere as before, reflecting her face clearly. Suddenly, she smiled – a smile tinged with bitterness and resignation.

"Is that how you think?"

"Mm."

"But I don't."

Cheng Suran held her breath, sensing that she might hear the answer she wanted to explore, her back straightening instinctively.

"The first time I saw you, it felt refreshing, like how I used to feel when I raised birds," Jiang Yu turned her face to look at the scenery beyond the glass railing.

"But later... I don't know when exactly or why, but you suddenly attracted me. I felt there's a determination in you that's similar to mine, even stronger and more vibrant. With you, I feel a sense of security, a security that's unrelated to money or status."

"Then later, I thought, what a wonderful girl she is. I like her. I want her to soar, to fly to even farther and broader places..."

Her lips moved, and her profile took on a stern and sharp edge, as if she were still the ruthless and resolute benefactor from years ago.

A faint glint appeared at the corner of her eye.

Cheng Suran sat there like a block of wood, frozen, looking at her, with no visible reaction. Yet, in her ears and in her mind, all she could hear was "I like her." It echoed in varying lengths and tones, surrounding her in three-dimensional sound.

The tranquil lake in her heart rippled once again, the waves expanding in concentric circles, growing more intense with each iteration until it reached a boiling point.

[In these years when you were not around, it was my only keepsake.]

Did she understand it the way she did? Reasons for keeping the model...

At this moment, a waiter approached with coffee and desserts.

"Please enjoy, both of you."

"Thank you."

Jiang Yu turned her face back, the light in her eyes was like an illusion.

An invisible hand pulled Cheng Suran back to reality, she regained her composure, picked up the coffee and took a sip, the bitter and slightly sour taste instantly dissipated from the tip of her tongue, and then slipped into her throat.

The cold bitter taste makes people sober.

She gently put down the cup, looked at Jiang Yu and said, "No matter what your original intention is or why you did it, in the end it helped me a lot, and I still thank you."

"You should also thank yourself." Jiang Yu endured the disappointment and said with a smile.

She tried to read some emotions and reactions from Cheng Suran's eyes, but she didn't see anything. Those clear eyes seemed to be deeper than the trench.

Cheng Suran didn't answer, her eyes fell on the bank card, and she pushed it forward again: "The password is 827930, you must accept the money."

Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow and tried to ask, "What if... I don't accept?"

"You will."

"Hm?"

"Only this way, can you and I completely bid farewell to the past, right?" Cheng Suran said calmly.

Jiang Yu was surprised her thoughts had been deciphered, yet somewhat delighted that their ideas were in sync. To bid farewell to the past meant to embark on the future, a brand-new relationship, and an entirely new life. It also meant they could start anew.

She smiled knowingly, picked up the card, and put it into her bag.

"In the past, I was nurtured by you, that's a fact. I won't deny it, escape from it, or hold any grudges or blame against you," Cheng Suran breathed a sigh of relief and continued.

"I was already an adult when I made the choice, and I knew the stakes in my heart. I was responsible for my choice. Everything depends on luck and misfortune. If you gain something, you will lose something. Nothing is perfect."

She wanted to say "I don't regret it," but those four words felt weak and feeble.

She couldn't forget the over four hundred days and nights spent in regret.

"Ranran, we..."

Jiang Yu had thought she saw the dawn of hope, but before she could even display her joy on her face, Cheng Suran abruptly interrupted her. The next words turned into a splash of cold reality, pouring down on her head, chilling her to the core.

"I hope we can maintain a purely business-oriented relationship."